The Promise of Love
by Fiona Rokkar
Summary: Go to Sanctuary… the home of Athena's Gold Saints. Once there… seek out the Virgo Saint. He… he will look after you. ShakaOC. Full summary inside.
1. Prologue: Running from the Past

A/N: I've been meaning to write this story for _years_. I'd think about writing it and maybe even start before trashing what I'd written. This time though, I've got a good idea of which direction it's headed in and I like it. Also, I know this chapter will probably confuse everyone who reads it and I'm sorry. But it needed to get written and you'll understand why later. Many thanks to my beta for helping the story flow better.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Saint Seiya or any of its characters.

Summary: Risa was found only a short way from the Aries Temple and the entrance to Sanctuary covered in cuts and bruises. After spending a month in a coma, she came to but remembered nothing but her first name and the words 'The Virgo Saint… he will look after you.' What could it mean? While looking after her, on request from Athena, Shaka found himself falling in love with Risa, who always appeared to be afraid. Can he show her that she is safe here and will she learn to trust it when he tells her he loves her?

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**Prologue: Running from the Past**

A young woman, about 20 years old, dashed through a forest as fast as her legs would take her. At the edge of the forest, she paused for a moment, praying she could regain her breath before her pursuers found her. All of her life she had lived on this one island. The island is said to be hell for the few who come here to train, but for those living here… to not desire freedom in death is a rarity. And this woman is one of those rare cases. Perhaps she is special because of how her mother raised her.

Only with her mother was she called the name she was given at birth, Risa. Everyone else called her Alyssa, a name her father had given her. Her time with her mother had been special, and Risa would never have traded it for anything. It was with her mother that she learned the legend of the Saints of Athena, and that she too has a special ability, though what that ability is she still does not know. If her mother knew, she never got the chance to say. On the eve of Risa's 19th birthday, her father found them as her mother secretly trained her. He was the highest ranking man on the entire island, and for anyone to disobey him was immediate death.

Risa was certain he doubted his own strength and perhaps also his masculinity. If he didn't, why would he have forbidden every woman to be allowed to train and grow stronger? It didn't matter anymore. She had been forced to watch him kill her mother, a woman who had never hurt anyone, with his bare hands. After watching her mother die, Risa lost control and used all the training she had gotten from her mother to kill her father. But… he had never treated her like a daughter. Every day he told her she should have been a son. Men were the stronger sex in her father's eyes. He considered women to be weak, unable to amount to anything. On top of this Risa was nothing more then an afterthought to him. She was not even important enough for him to acknowledge that she existed.

If she had been a son, she would now be searching for her father's killer to become the next one to rule over the island. He had put this system in place, so in case of his untimely death, the one who killed his killer would become the next to rule over the island. There was no plan of inheritance if no killer was found, so her father's entire bloodline, all of her many half-brothers, went out searching for her.

But… she didn't care. Risa believed in the strength her mother gave her. She knew that if she trusted in everything her mother said, everything would turn out alright. Risa would never forget her mother's last words to her. After her father killed her mother, Risa had run off after him. They fought and Risa came out the victor. Returning to her mother, she knelt down next to her and closed her eyes. Her mother never deserved the life she was given. Aline was a good person! To Risa's surprise, a hand touched her gently on the hand. Opening her eyes, Risa was surprised to see her mother looking up at her.

"Mother..." She whispered

"Go to Sanctuary… the home of Athena's Gold Saints. Once there… seek out the Virgo Saint. He… he will look after you. You may run into trouble with the Saints at first because they are not easily trusting of someone they do not know. Take this… it is a necklace I was given by the Pope of Athena himself when I visited Sanctuary as a young woman. It will grant you safety for a little while, buying you time for Athena to listen to your story. Tell her everything. Leave nothing out. I know she will protect you. You are… my beautiful daughter, born under the stars of…"

She never heard which constellation she was born under, though she knew her zodiac fell under the sign of Cancer. If she were ever to make it to the Gold Saint status, she would become the Saint of Cancer. Perhaps Athena would be able to tell her what her mother meant once she made it to Sanctuary. Looking up at the sky, Risa sighed softly. She still had a long way to go before reaching Greece, and finding Sanctuary wouldn't be easy. It is hidden well to keep out those who are not Saints of Athena. But Risa's mother believed that she would be able to find it, and Risa believed in her mother.

Hearing the rustle of leaves, Risa jumped back just in time to dodge a powerful punch from a man with short messy red hair and brown eyes. She recognized him as Martin, one of her brothers. When she landed easily on her feet, he glared at her.

"We always knew you would be trouble... but no. Father just had to keep you because Aline would have found a way to leave. You are just like your mother, always causing problems."

"What the hell do you know? You're no older than I am!"

"I was raised to be one of the best. That is something you will never know because you are a female. Females need to learn when to respect their superiors!"

He tried to punch her again. Risa had always been quick on her feet, so she was able to dodge his fist once more. However, this punch was more powerful than the last, and his fist shattered the rock she had been standing in front of, sending tiny shards of granite in every direction. She winced slightly as some of the shards cut her face. Turning to face her brother, her eyes hardened.

"You know nothing of that which our father controlled. Yes, he granted special privilege to his sons, but I still know the truth of everything that happened. He treated women as if they were nothing more than animals to boss around and prevent from having any freedom. In truth, he was scared of women… of me and Mother. For whatever reason, we threaten how he feels about being a man. Restricting our freedom gave him power over us, power he enjoyed. Now he is dead because he took it one step too far and killed Mother. I will not be so easily defeated. I will survive, and nothing you or any of our other siblings can do will stop me," she said quietly, and the extremely cold tone of her voice seemed to stop Martin in his tracks.

Taking this chance, Risa slipped behind a tree and disappeared into the forest. Without a visual on her, she knew he wouldn't be able to find her. After so many years training in secret, she had learned how to keep her cosmos at the lowest level of detection possible. Her words to Martin had been spoken in anger, but that didn't make them any less true. She would do whatever it took to survive. At the very least she could fulfill her mother's wish and make it to Sanctuary. Her mother seemed to believe that all the answers lay within Sanctuary. _Sanctuary… The home of Athena's most powerful Saints,_ Risa thought to herself as she looked up at the night sky. It was a surprisingly clear night, and Risa thought she saw a shooting star. Smiling to herself, she focused her attention on getting through this forest. Death Queen Island is a long way from Greece, so her journey had only just begun.

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A/N: Chapter two will be up in a few minutes. Hopefully it will answer most questions about this chapter.


	2. Ch1: An Unknown Visitor

A/N: Here it is, chapter two! This chapter would have been up yesterday, if not for my internet at home giving out completely. It won't be fixed for another few days so I'm sitting at a bookstore. I really wanted to get this chapter up so that a little more about what's going on is known.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Saint Seiya or any of its characters.

Summary: Risa was found only a short way from the Aries Temple and the entrance to Sanctuary covered in cuts and bruises. After spending a month in a coma, she came to but remembered nothing but her first name and the words 'The Virgo Saint… he will look after you.' What could it mean? While looking after her, on request from Athena, Shaka found himself falling in love with Risa, who always appeared to be afraid. Can he show her that she is safe here and will she learn to trust it when he tells her he loves her?

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**Chapter One: An Unknown Visitor**

The Gold Saint of Aries stepped out of his temple and sighed. His apprentice Kiki had run off again. As he glanced around the area out in front of his temple, he sensed that something was not right. It was a few moments before he felt a slight disturbance in the cosmos. Finally he spotted a young woman, lying a few feet in front of the entrance to the Aries Temple. He walked over to her and knelt down. Sensing no malice in her cosmos made him certain that she was no threat to Sanctuary or Athena.

Being as gentle as he could be, he rolled her over. His eyes widened when he got a good look at her. Her face and arms were covered in minor scratches and her feet looked as if she had been running barefoot for a long distance. Her clothes were torn like she'd been traveling a long time. Slowly, her eyes opened and she looked up at him.

"Emerald green eyes… Long lavender hair… You wouldn't be the Aries Saint, would you?"

"I am, but how do you know of me?" he asked.

"My… My mother told me everything she knew of Sanctuary. I… I had to come. There is nowhere else that I might be safe," she said softly.

He realized she was trying to hand him a medallion. When he saw what it was, his eyes widened again. A long time ago, his teacher Shion was the Pope of Sanctuary, acting in Athena's stead until she could be reborn. At that time, he gave medallions to those he thought might need his protection in the future. All they had to do was show the medallion to a Gold Saint and their protection was guaranteed. Mu realized the woman in his arms had passed out again. _She is not old enough to have been here that long ago, but perhaps her mother? Yes… Her mother told her of Sanctuary and Athena. It only makes sense that a long time ago this woman's mother was here, _Mu reasoned.

"Lord Mu!"

The Aries Saint turned toward the voice and frowned when he saw his apprentice running towards him. Mu stood up, with the woman in his arms. _I must talk to Athena. There has to be something that can be done to help her._ Like all Gold Saints, Mu's first priority was to keep Athena safe, but there was something about this woman that made him think that he would be doing the world a huge disservice by refusing to help her. And besides, he was not one to just watch as someone dies when he knew he could do something to help.

"Kiki, where have you been?" Mu asked, as Kiki slid to a stop in front of him.

"I…Who is she?"

"I do not know, but she needs our help. Stay here and don't leave."

"Yes, Lord Mu," Kiki said, knowing by the tone of voice that Mu was serious.

Mu had the rare gift of teleportation, passed onto him from his teacher, so instead of walking through all 12 temples to reach Athena, he teleported directly from the temple of Aries to the temple of Athena. Athena looked up in surprise when Mu appeared in front of her. In this incarnation, Athena had long deep purple hair and blue-green eyes. She put down the piece of paper she was looking at when she saw the look on Mu's face.

"Mu… what is it? Who is this?" she asked, looking at the woman in his arms.

"I am not sure. She appeared outside my temple a moment ago."

"Yes, I felt the slight shift in cosmos," Athena said, and nodded towards her couch, indicating Mu should place the young woman there.

Mu walked over and laid her on the couch. He watched as Athena gently touched her face. She seemed to be thinking about something, because she was quiet for a long time. Finally, she turned back to him.

"I sense that she has a great power and that a special path is written in the stars for her. She is not dangerous."

"No, she isn't. She also held this in her hand when I found her," he said, and held out the medallion.

"That is…" Athena started to say, but trailed off.

"Shion gave these out to a few who came here once but did not stay. He said he felt they would need his protection in the future. Showing this to any Gold Saint would grant them the protection of Sanctuary for as long as needed," Mu told her.

"You want to honor Shion's promise to her?" she asked.

"Yes. She couldn't have been the one who came here, she's too young. But she spoke of a mother who told her everything about Sanctuary and Athena."

"Did Shion keep a record of who he gave them to?"

"No. I met some of them, but this girl… she doesn't remind me of any of the ones I met. There was… one teenager Shion mentioned. He said that the stars had a terrible future written for her, but her children would be destined for greatness."

Athena was silent. Mu didn't look up when he felt her cosmos reach out and summon all 12 of her Gold Saints. Summoning all of them indicated she had important information to share with them. Though Mu was the only one with teleportation, the other Gold Saints could move at the speed of light. No one ever takes their time answering a summon from the Goddess. Mu turned his attention back to the girl when she made a small painful noise in her sleep. Some of her wounds looked minor, but he could tell they weren't.

"Athena, we have come," A new voice said, and Mu's lips curved into a smile. Shura, the Saint of Capricorn, possibly the most loyal Saint, announces the arrival of the council to Athena. Looking up, Mu counted 13 heads in all, including himself and both of the Gemini Saints, the twins Saga and Kanon. Saga was the official Gold Saint, but Kanon was just as powerful as his older brother. Mu didn't move from his kneeling position beside the young woman. It was not needed for him to kneel before Athena, and he would be able to hear her perfectly from where he was.

"We have an unexpected visitor. Before any of you get worked up – no, this is not an enemy. She will be given my protection until further notice. I want each and every one of you to make sure she is safe until I am certain she no longer needs our protection."

"Why are we protecting her?" A new voice asked, gruff and moody. Mu knew that the Saint of Cancer, Deathmask, was the one who had spoken. Deathmask only liked doing things for himself, causing Mu to sometimes wonder why he was a Golden Saint.

"She had this in her protection," Athena replied softly, holding up the medallion Mu had given her. There was a sharp intake of breath from Saga. At one time Saga had been under the control of Ares, the God of War. Ares wanted to take Sanctuary from Athena, and had compelled Saga to do it. Ares had forced Saga to kill Aiolos, his best friend, and Shion, right after Shion had named Mu the new Saint of Aries. In the end, Saga had won over Ares and committed suicide to prevent himself from doing further harm. Every 250 years, Athena and Hades fight in a war called the Holy War. In the last war, Hades brought Saga and a few other Saints back to life to bring him Athena's head. They accepted his deal but their true goal was to find a way for Athena to defeat him. In the end, all the Gold Saints gave their lives to help the Bronze Saints deliver her cloth to her so she could defeat Hades. After the Holy War was over, Athena brought them all back to life, including Kanon which brought the total of Gold Saints to 13 instead of 12.

"Mu, will you bring her here?" Athena asked, and turned to look at him.

He gently picked her up again, noting once again just how light she really was. This woman… Her frame was built to carry about 120 pounds, but Mu suspected she weighed little over 80 pounds. He felt sure she would tell Athena her story when she awoke. Mu walked over to Athena, carrying the woman, and carefully sat down on the steps Athena stood atop. The rest of the Gold Saints remain at the bottom of the steps, kneeling before Athena. Mu shifted the woman in his arms so that the rest of the Gold Saints would be able to see her, and, more importantly, how hurt she was.

The room was silent as each of them took in the sight of the woman. Mu was certain at least a couple of them were wondering why she was so willing to put the woman under protection. He suspected that she, like himself, sensed something about this woman that the rest of them couldn't. Looking across the faces of his fellow Gold Saints, Mu saw all sorts of reactions in their faces. Aiolia and Aiolos, the Gold Saints of Leo and Sagittarius respectively, looked horrified. Saga and Kanon's reactions mirrored that of Aiolia and Aiolos. Aldebaran looked upset, possibly with sympathy for the woman. Camus' face stayed icy cool, as always, but beside him the Saint of Scorpio, Milo, looked angry. Shura looked indifferent, and Mu knew he would follow Athena's orders without question. Deathmask and the Saint of Pisces, Aphrodite, had uncaring looks on their faces. They only cared about each other. Eventually Mu's gaze landed on the Virgo Saint, Shaka.

His eyes widened slightly at the look on Shaka's face. Shaka was said to be the Saint closest to being a God, and at the moment Shaka looked… concerned. Shaka kept his eyes closed at all times, but his facial expressions changed when he was feeling strongly about something. Normally his face was calm without much of an expression. Mu could tell that it wasn't just concern for the young woman; it was as if he knew her. _I'll have to ask Shaka about this later…_ He thought to himself. Over the years Mu had known Shaka, the two had become good friends.

Lastly, Mu's gaze found its way to the highest ranking Gold Saint, the Saint of Libra. Dohko was the oldest of them all, and had survived two Holy Wars. Dohko, like Milo, looked angry.

Athena knelt down next to Mu and gently touched the young woman's face. She seemed to relax at Athena's touch, which made Athena smile. Standing up, she addressed all of them once again.

"She seems to be in a deep sleep and I do not think she will wake soon. Mu, will you look after her while she sleeps?" At his nod, Athena continued. "The rest of you… Return to your normal duties."

Mu wasn't surprised that Deathmask and Aphrodite were the first ones out of the door. However, it did surprise him that Saga seemed to lag behind, as if he wanted to stay. Aiolos whispered something in his ear that made him leave, but not before looking back. As Shaka moved towards the door, Athena spoke again.

"Shaka, will you stay for a moment?"

"Of course." The Virgo Saint replied, and stepped back into the room.

A few minutes later only the three of them remained in the room. Mu slowly got to his feet and nearly stumbled. Shaka was at his side in an instant to make sure Mu didn't drop the woman in his arms. Mu gratefully handed the woman to Shaka, who seemed surprised.

"I think we'll be seeing a lot of this scene." Athena said with a smile as she looked at them. "You know her, don't you, Shaka?"

"I feel like I do. Lately I've been having these visions where I see a woman who means a lot to me. I… I don't understand why she does. When I saw her just now I knew, I knew that this is the woman I've been seeing," he said softly.

"Why don't you take care of her then?" Athena suggested

"But I…"

"With all due respect Athena, Shaka is not best fit for looking after someone who is asleep like our lady friend here. If she were awake and could do certain functions herself, that would be one thing. But…" Mu started to say, but trailed off when Athena held up her hand.

"I understand your point, Mu. Still… I think she will be suited best with Shaka during her stay here. After she wakes, Shaka, will you look after her?" Athena asked.

"Yes." Shaka said softly.

Athena didn't say any more after that. The two men looked at each other silently and then down at the young woman in Shaka's arms. Mu had so many questions, about the visions Shaka had been having, but somehow he knew they could wait until a later time. Still… Shaka had kept to himself for a very long time. For that all to start to change on the same day a young woman appeared with a medallion from Shion couldn't just be mere coincidence, could it? He wanted to shake his head to clear it, but before he could, Athena spoke up.

"Mu, why don't you take her back to your temple for now? Send Kiki for Marin. I'm sure she's still around here somewhere and would be happy to help," she said as she sat down in a chair. Mu looked at her and could understand her deeper meaning. Except for a select few, most of the Saints were male, and Mu now had a female charge. There were… some measures to be taken. She also needed her wounds treated, and Marin was the best one to do it. No female would be happy waking up and finding out a man had invaded her personal space, even if it was to help save her life.

Very carefully, Shaka handed the young woman back to Mu. His fingers seemed to grace over her face for a moment, but then he looked away. Athena nodded at him, letting him know that he too was dismissed. Mu thought briefly about letting Shaka know that he could come to the Aries temple at any time, but he knew Shaka already knew that. He closed his eyes and teleported for the second time within the hour.

When he appeared in the main room of the Aries temple, Kiki was sitting there, already waiting for him. At the sight of Mu, the redheaded child jumped to his feet.

"Lord Mu!"

"Kiki, go find Marin," Mu told him.

"But…" Kiki started to object but Mu cut him off.

"Go. Tell her that there is a young woman here who needs her wounds tended to. Tell her Athena requested she come," he told Kiki sternly. Now was not the time for Kiki to decide to protest. At the mention of Athena, Kiki nodded and teleported.

Mu smiled as he looked at the space Kiki had been standing. Like Shion, Mu had passed on his gift of teleportation. When he was not training, Kiki had great fun visiting all the other temples, but not nearly as much fun as when he went to visit the Bronze Saints. Marin was Seiya's teacher, so Kiki most likely had a general idea of where she'd been staying lately. Seiya was one of the Bronze Saints who was given the task of delivering Athena's cloth to her during the last Holy War. He now lives in Japan where he lived before coming to Sanctuary to train for his own cloth under Marin's guidance.

Knowing that Kiki wouldn't take too long in finding someone, especially when Athena had requested it, Mu walked down the hall towards the back of his temple. Each of the 12 temples had a main area in which the Saints spent much of their time. However, there was a hallway that led to the back of the temple, which was the living area for the Saint of that temple. Most were generally the same. There was a kitchen, four bedrooms, and two bathrooms that were put in during a more modern time. His lips turned into a smile when Shion cracked a joke about having to go to the bathroom outside during a thunderstorm once. He never could quite tell if his teacher had been serious about that or not.

Mu's room was the farthest one from the main entrance of the temple on the left. Kiki's was diagonal from his. Deciding it would be best if he could easily get to his sleeping charge if needed, Mu picked the room across from his own for the woman to stay in. As he gently placed her on the bed, some of her hair fell over her eyes. She was indeed beautiful. Her beauty reminded him very much of a certain Virgo Saint.

"I think you are going to reveal a new side to Shaka no one has ever seen before," he said softly, as he brushed the hair out of her eyes.

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A/N: Please review!


	3. Ch2: Shaka's New Charge

I'm so sorry this chapter has taken so long! It has been written for awhile but my beta got really busy and wasn't able to get back to me. I will try to get the next chapter out soon but I don't want to make any promises.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Saint Seiya or any of its characters.

Summary: Risa was found only a short way from the Aries Temple and the entrance to Sanctuary covered in cuts and bruises. After spending a month in a coma, she came to but remembered nothing but her first name and the words 'The Virgo Saint… he will look after you.' What could it mean? While looking after her, on request from Athena, Shaka found himself falling in love with Risa, who always appeared to be afraid. Can he show her that she is safe here and will she learn to trust it when he tells her he loves her?

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**Chapter Two: Shaka's New Charge**

Three months passed and still the young woman who showed up on Mu's doorstep showed no signs of waking. Shaka would come by nearly every day and sit with her. He never spoke but seemed to be content with just sitting at her side. Mu lingered around the first few times Shaka was with her until he asked Mu if he could be alone. After that, Mu respected his wishes and found somewhere else to be anytime he was keeping a vigil over the woman. He also sent Kiki to Japan to visit with Seiya and the rest of the Bronze Saints. It was easier to have him there than to be curious and underfoot all the time. Once a week Mu would report to Athena how the woman was progressing. It was one of the times he was there that she finally stirred.

When Risa came to, she didn't open her eyes right away. She was vividly aware of her body aching in many places. As she waited for the pain to lessen, she realized just how… empty she felt. It didn't take her long to realize the reason for that is that she knew nothing practically nothing about herself. Something must have happened to her that caused her to forget. There were things she knew but specifics were blank. The only thing she could really remember about herself was that her name is Risa. When the pain seemed to dull, she slowly opened her eyes.

Looking around the room, she realized that she wasn't alone. At her side sat a beautiful man who appeared to be in his early twenties. In an attempt to get rid of the empty feeling, she decided to study him. Everything about him that she could see. Then, study anything else she could. He looked almost feminine and had long golden hair that fell over his shoulders. She couldn't tell the color of his eyes behind closed eyelids and bangs too long obscured a marking on his forehead. Assuming him to be asleep, Risa sat up to get a better look at the room she was in. She wasn't scared to wake up here, even though she has no idea where was or how she got there. The first thing she noticed was that it seemed to have an earth tone theme. All browns, reds and greens. Comforting to anyone, really, and that's what she was. The walls look as if they are a medium grey colored stone. On the floor is a deep red carpet, almost the color of blood. On the far wall opposite the bed she is lying in is a dresser made out of some kind of wood and then stained to give it a beautiful reddish color. The dresser is a chest type dresser so it isn't as tall as a dresser with drawers would be. To the right of the chest dresser was a mirror propped up in the corner where the walls meet. To the left was the door and it was open so she couldn't tell from her view what it was made out of.

On the wall to the left of the door was a table that is a rustic brown. There were a few things placed on top of it but she couldn't tell what they were. A piece of artwork had been carefully hung on the wall above the table and from where she was, all Risa could make out was a mountain range. Noticing that there seemed to be sunlight coming into the room, she carefully turned around to look at the other wall that consisted mostly of mirrors. When she turned around to sit normally again, Risa noticed a pile of clothes at the end of the bed. Pushing back the sheets, a deep voice made her freeze.

"I see you're awake."

She looked at the doorway but saw no one. Then to her surprise, the man sitting at the side of the bed got to his feet. She blinked, confused. Was he blind? Turning towards her, he offered a smile. When she didn't say anything, he spoke again.

"How are you feeling?"

"I… Alright I suppose. My body aches."

"I'm not surprised. You arrived at Sanctuary covered in cuts and bruises."

_Sanctuary is the birth place of the Goddess Athena's Saints. Her Gold Saints live here in 12 temples aligned with the zodiac._ She tried to think about what could have happened to her, but her head began to throb. Pressing the heel of her palm against her temple, she tried to will the pain away. Before she realized it, gentle fingers were pulling her hand away from her head. Looking up she saw that the man had taken a seat next to her. In one hand he held a glass of water. As she took it, he picked up a bottle from the bed next to him, opened it and poured two pills into the bottle's top. She eyed them warily.

"I'm not going to poison you. It's only pain killers. See?" He said and held up the bottle so she could read the label. Some part of her must have recognized that it wasn't poison because she nodded slowly as she took the pills from him. After she had taken the pills, the man stood up. She tried to stand but her legs couldn't support her weight and she would have fallen if he hadn't caught her. He gently placed her on the edge of the bed.

"Careful. You've been in a coma for three months and traveled for probably a long time prior to that."

"A coma?"

"Yes. You showed up on the steps of the Aries temple and fainted once you found out you were in Sanctuary."

"Where am I now?"

"This is the temple of Aries. Mu took care of you while you were comatose."

"You're not…?"

"No." He paused. "You don't remember arriving in Sanctuary or meeting the Saint?"

"…No."

"What do you remember?"

"Too little." She said unhappily.

"What about your name?"

"My name is Risa. Besides that I don't know much about myself. There are just some things I know but mostly things are a huge blank."

"Well then, welcome to Sanctuary Risa." A female voice cut in and made her jump to the far end of the bed.

Looking up, she noticed that a young woman had arrived. There was something about this woman that made Risa feel as if she knew her. The man she had been talking to smirked slightly in amusement. He started to rise but stopped when the woman held up her hand. Risa frowned slightly, wondering why she seemed to be giving orders.

"I think you startled her Athena." He said, breaking the silence.

_Athena. The Goddess many men and women have sworn to protect. _It made sense then, why he would follow her orders. He has not given his name nor told her if he was a Gold Saint, but somehow Risa thought that he might be.

"Shaka, why don't you go visit with Mu for awhile?"

"Yes, of course." He said, catching the meaning behind her suggestion.

After the man, Shaka left, Risa stayed sitting on the bed. She didn't speak, opting instead to stare at her hands. It wasn't long before she felt the bed shift as Athena sat beside her. For Athena herself to come here… Risa didn't know what to think. Shaka hadn't said anything that would make her think they were trying to keep Athena protected from her. If they were, he certainly wouldn't have left Athena alone with her. But still… the Goddess had messengers to look into situations for her. Suddenly a hand reached out and touched hers, making Risa look up in surprise. Athena didn't say anything at first, she smiled.

"Athena… I…" Risa started to say, unable to find the words for what she wanted to say.

"Relax. I came to see you because I wanted to personally see how you were doing when I heard you were awake. I had hoped to hear your story but it seems that I will have to wait for another day."

"I'm sorry… Everything is just such a blank…"

"I'm certain your memories will return in time. For now, let's get you settled into where you will be staying."

"I'm not staying here?" Risa asked and Athena shook her head.

"I think you'll be more comfortable at the Virgo temple."

"Virgo?"

"Yes. Shaka is the Saint there." Risa was silent and Athena spoke again. "I'll leave you alone to change. Turn left and follow the hallway and you'll be able to find Shaka and myself." Athena said, breaking Risa's train of thought.

Nodding, Risa stood up at the same time Athena did. Once the Goddess had left her alone, she breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed the nearby chair to keep herself steady. Shaka had said she was in a coma for three months… no wonder that she feels weak. And yet… it was more than that. She felt weak, weaker than she thought she should be after being in bed for three months. However, she didn't have time to dwell.

After she dressed, Risa walked over to the corner of the room to look at herself in the mirror. The first thing she noticed was that the only place that actually shows she had been hurt at all were her arms. One again, she felt the need to examine everything, so that she wouldn't dwell on the empty feeling coming back now that she was left alone. The main body of the outfit was a black leotard and the leggings were dark blue. Around her waist was a light blue sash that matched the legwarmers over the leggings. Her shoes were black high heels with a simple ankle strap. The final item in her outfit was a single black fingerless glove. The outfit felt like it didn't belong on her but also felt like it suited her perfectly. She frowned, and tried to understand the feelings. She shook her head and sighed. Athena was expecting her soon.

She walked around the room and tried to get used to walking in high heels. Risa left the room when she felt she could walk without falling. She found herself in a hallway with a carpet the same color as the room she had been in. Looking around, she realized that there were four other doors in this hallway, all of them shut. One of them must be another bedroom for the Gold Saint to stay in at night. She walked down the hallway in the direction Athena told her to. Farther down the hallway from the room she woke up in was a room that wasn't shut. She glanced inside and saw that it was a kitchen and dining area. She thought about looking at it closer but decided not to. Voices began filtering from even farther down the hall. She couldn't understand what they were saying.

Risa walked in the direction of the voices she could hear. When she got closer, she began to make out what they were saying. She recognized Athena and Shaka's voices but there was a third voice that didn't feel unfamiliar to her. Shaka had told her that she met the Aries Saint… Mu. Maybe it was him.

"Who do you think she is?" The unknown man asked

"I'm not sure but I don't think she's dangerous. Shaka, don't you agree?" Athena said

"I do. It doesn't make much sense but I feel as if we were meant to protect her."

The three of them stopped talking when Risa walked into the room. Shaka and Athena were facing her but the other man had his back to her. He has long lavender colored hair and when he turned around, she noticed that his eyes were a deep green. On his forehead there were twin markings. When he saw her, his expression softened. Athena walked over to Risa and led her to the center of the room. She looked around in amazement. The room was huge compared to the rest of the temple she had been in. The walls were made up of pillars and the floor was a dark gray stone. She looked around and noticed the room was completely empty and it confused her. The first one to speak was the man she couldn't recognize. He took a step closer to her and smiled.

"Welcome to the Aries Temple, Risa."

"Thank you. I'm sorry but…"

"You don't remember me? It is alright. I am Mu, the Saint of Aries. Oh wait, do you-" Risa cut him off by shaking her head.

"I am starting to remember some information about Sanctuary and the Saints that live here. I know that the Aries Temple is the first of 13 temples in Sanctuary, the last being Athena's Temple. I also remember that the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Saints are men who have sworn their lives to protect Athena. I just… can't remember anything about who I am."

"It will come in time, Risa. I'm certain of it." Athena said softly.

Before anyone else could say anything else, a child appeared out of thin air and startled Risa. The child has short red hair and hazel eyes. On his forehead were markings identical to the ones on Mu's forehead. She wondered if this was Mu's child.

"Lord Mu! Wait until-" He was cut off when Mu placed a hand on the chid's shoulder.

"Kiki. Whatever Seiya did or had happen to him can wait until later."

Kiki went silent when he noticed Risa. He must have known that Mu had been looking after her while she was in her coma. The excitement left his face and he e looked like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure what. She bit her lip and hated that her presence had silenced even a child. Mu was the one to break the silence.

"Risa, this is my apprentice, Kiki. We have the gift of teleportation which is how he suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Did he startle you?" Mu asked and Risa nodded. "He knows better but his excitement gets the better of him."

"I'm sorry for startling you." Kiki said and looked up at her.

"It is okay, I'm fine now." She said and managed a soft smile.

Kiki relaxed. Mu pointed in towards the hallway and he ran off. Athena and Shaka had been talking quietly to themselves but rejoined Risa and Mu now. Shaka stood closer to Risa this time. She looked at him, wondering again if he was blind.

"Risa," Athena said to get her attention. "Shaka will take you to the Virgo temple and help you settle in. When you are ready, we will introduce you to everyone else. I don't want to overwhelm you." Athena said

Before Risa realized what was happening, she found herself in Shaka's arms. The next thing she knew was that he was placing her on her feet in front of a temple. She held on to him as she tried to regain her balance.

"I'm sorry. Carrying you here was the quickest way to get you here."

"Can you teleport too?" She asked and Shaka chuckled

"No. Mu and Kiki are the only ones with that ability. The rest of us move at the speed of light so it is almost as efficient as teleportation."

"And that's why you picked me up?"

"Correct. I can carry you inside if you need me to."

Risa let go of him and took a step forward to test her balance. She found that she was shaky on her feet but able to stand. The first thing she noticed was that there was a garden surrounding the Virgo Temple. Anything she could have thought of to describe it did not come close to how beautiful it was. Risa noticed the same pillars she had seen at Mu's here as well. She was beginning to think that the temples were built in similar ways. Her gaze left the temple to look at the garden again. Shaka placed a hand on her shoulder and spoke.

"Welcome Risa, to the Virgo Temple."

* * *

A/N: I don't have a stable beta right now and will be trying to do the editing on my own. I hope that I can get the next chapter to the point that I'm happy with it at some point during the next month.

Please review!


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